Man arrested in 7-Eleven hostage situation in Jefferson Park

One person is in custody after a hostage situation in a NW Side convenience store. (WLS)

WLS

Liz Nagy

Sunday, September 11, 2016

CHICAGO (WLS) --

A man was arrested early Sunday after an hours-long hostage situation at a 7-Eleven store in the city's Jefferson Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side, police said.

The man held two store employees hostage inside the store; they were not hurt.

At about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, a SWAT team was responded to call about a man who barricaded himself in the store in the 4800-block of North Milwaukee Avenue.SWAT units used flash bangs to get the man out. At about 1 a.m., they entered the store and arrested him.

A manager at the store said the man threatened them with a gun he didn't actually have, broke a security monitor and tore apart the back of the store.

The store did reopen Sunday morning.

Michael Kim witnessed the standoff and was stuck in the parking lot.

"SWAT teams shooting white smoking bombs then I see the sniper on the rood by Subway...really crazy out there," Kim said.

Haidee Romman came to the store Sunday morning to check on the people she comes to see every day.

"I was scared, very scared, because we know the employees, we're here almost every single day and I hoped nothing had happened," said Haidee Romman.

During the standoff, CTA Blue Line trains did not stop at the Jefferson Park station. Service resumed early Sunday.